1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) and, more particularly, to an LCD in which assembly of a liquid crystal display module (LCM) and a set printed circuit board (PCB) is simplified by using a separate connector.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or light emitting displays, for example, have been used as flat panel displays in personal computers, portable terminals, monitors of various information devices, and the like. Among them, an LCD displays an image by adjusting light transmittance of liquid crystal using an electric field. To this end, an LCD includes a liquid crystal module formed by assembling a liquid crystal panel in which pixel regions are arranged, a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel, and a backlight unit for irradiating light into the liquid crystal panel.
An assembly structure of an existing LCD employing a liquid crystal module will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3D. FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating the rear of an LCD formed by assembling a middle frame and a set printed circuit board (PCB) to a liquid crystal module (LCM). FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1, illustrating a coupled state of the OCM, the middle frame, and the set PCB according to a related art.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the related art LCD 1 includes a liquid crystal module (LCM) 10, a middle frame 20 coupled to the rear of the LCM 10, and a set printed circuit board (PCB) 30 coupled to the rear of the middle frame 20. The LCM 10 includes a liquid crystal panel (not shown) and a backlight unit (not shown), and a flexible PCB (FPCB) 15 (shown in FIG. 2) for transmitting a current and various signals is provided in a lower end of the LCM 10 in order to control driving of the LCM 10.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the FPCB 15 provided in the lower end of the LCM 10 is bent to penetrate through a circuit board insertion hole 23 formed on one side of the middle frame 20 coupled to the rear of the LCM 10, so as to protrude outwardly and be fastened to a PCB connector portion 35 of the set PCB 30 coupled to the rear of the middle frame 20 and having various electric elements (not shown) mounted thereon.
An assembly method of the existing LCD configured as a combination of the LCM 10, the middle frame 20, and the set PCB 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A through 3D. FIGS. 3A through 3D are plan views illustrating an assembly process of components constituting the related art LCD.
With reference to FIG. 3A, the LCM 10 includes a liquid crystal panel (not shown) and a backlight unit (not shown) is prepared. In this case, the liquid crystal panel (not shown) is assembled in a state in which a liquid crystal material is injected between upper and lower conductive glass panels, and the FPCB 15 for delivering a current and various signals is provided to control driving of the LCM 10.
Next, with reference to FIG. 3B, the middle frame 20 to be coupled to the rear of the LCM 10 is prepared. Circuit board insertion holes 23 are disposed to allow the FPCB 15 of the LCM 10 to penetrate therethrough so as to be exposed outwardly, and a battery receiving portion 25 is provided in a central portion to allow a battery (not shown) to be disposed in the LCD 1.
Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 3C, with the middle frame 20 coupled to the rear of the LCM 10, a pad portion 15a of the FPCB 15 provided in the LCM 10 penetrates through the circuit board insertion holes 23 provided in the middle frame 20 and protrudes from the rear of the middle frame 20.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3D, the set PCB 30 having various electric elements (not shown) disposed thereon is coupled to the rear of the middle frame 20, for example, to a portion excluding the battery receiving portion 25. Here, the pad portion 15a of the FPCB 15 is protruded from the side of the set PCB 30 and inserted into the PCB connector portion 35 provided on one side of the rear of the set PCB 30 in a bent state.
Subsequently, although not shown, a battery is disposed in the battery receiving portion 25 of the set PCB 30, and other components are appropriately disposed in the other portions to complete the assembly process of the LCD 1 according to the related art.
According to the related art LCD, after the FPCB of the LCM is bent and attached to the rear of the middle frame, the pad portion of the FCPB of the LCM is fastened to the PCB connector portion of the set PCB coupled to the rear of the middle frame so as to be assembled. However, in assembling the LCM and the middle frame, it is difficult to bend the FPCB and insert the FPCB to the circuit board insertion holes of the middle frame, considerably lengthening an assembly process time. Also, when the connector of the FPCB and the connector of the set PCB are connected, the pad portion of the FPCB of the LCM is further bent and fastened to the PCB connector portion of the set PCB, thereby increasing the thickness of the device increases as well as resulting in a great number of assembly defects.
In particular, when the FPCB of the existing LCM is a bent type, the FPCB of the LCM needs to be bent in consideration of the width of a set bezel, and since a structure of the middle frame is limited to correspond to various FPCB structures, assembly characteristics and productivity are degraded in assembling an LCD. In addition, when the LCM and the set PCB are coupled, the bent pad portion of the FPCB and the PCB connector portion of the set PCB need to be fastened, a complicated structure is required to fasten the connectors according to the internal structure of the set PCB.
Meanwhile, the assembly structure of the existing device, for example, the assembly structure among the LCM, the middle frame, and the set PCB, significantly degrades productivity in terms of bending and fastening of the FPCB and has a limitation in reducing a thickness of a product.